Life Is Wonderful
by Zokolov
Summary: A three-chapter story about Mewtwo: how it was born, how its escape affected those around it, and how it was eventually approached by a Pokémon from another world...
1. Birth

**LIFE**

**CHAPTER ONE: **_**BIRTH**_

_I'm flying over a tall mountain… the wind feels heavenly on my face as I soar… I'm high enough to see every tree on the island… and beyond it, the vast ocean..._

No. I'm not on the island. I'm in a cold, dark place. I feel constrained, uncomfortable. There are distant voices all around me.

_Now I'm back on the island, in the forest. A group of humans has arrived… rare, but not unprecedented. They're searching for something. Many are equipped with shovels… many Drillbur and an Excadrill with them..._

Why am I here? Why am I surrounded by this darkness? I want to go back. Why am I alone?

"You're not alone!"

**~o~O~o~**

_**Cinnabar Island, present day**_

As she walked around the busy streets of Cinnabar Island, Iris attracted a lot of attention to herself. It had to do many facts, like the way she enthusiastically greeted everyone and often stopped to chat with people, or the fact that her bushy hair was almost as big as her whole body, or that a small dragon-type Pokémon that had never been seen in Kanto was following closely behind her.

Most importantly, she was asking around about the island's gym leader, Blaine, whom the townspeople were reluctant to talk about. Eventually someone vaguely mentioned his gym and house to be at the foot of the volcano, but warned Iris that Blaine could be a tad "eccentric".

And so Iris would notice. She could only step on the doorstep of the gym and reach for the doorbell, when the gym's door unexpectedly opened. Before Iris could protest, she was roughly dragged in, and her Axew managed to follow her inside just before the door slammed shut.

As the gym's lights were turned on, Iris found herself in the grip of a tall, bald man with a thick, Walrein-like moustache. Iris couldn't see Blaine's eyes, as they were covered by the man's dark sunglasses. He also wore a dingy, slightly burned lab coat on top of a suit.

"Who sent you?" Blaine growled with a raspy voice and squeezed Iris' arm. "Why are you asking around about me? Are you with Team Rocket?"

"Um, hi there, Mr. Blaine," Iris squeaked and tried to act like this happened to her every day. "You seem to have the wrong idea… I'm a student from the University of Opelucid in Unova. Um, Professor Juniper sent me to see Professor Elm about this subject I'm researching and… he asked me to come to you… and now I'm here!" she added.

"Yeah, I can sort of see that," Blaine said and let go of Iris, though he still eyed her suspiciously. "Elm did send me word someone was coming… and I do owe him a favor… I would have been chased off this island after it… it happened…"

Suddenly, Blaine walked away to what seemed to his kitchen. A Magmar wearing a chef's hat and an apron (Iris wondered how they didn't catch on fire) was cooking something with its flamethrower attack, while Blaine opened one of his cupboards, took out two badly dented coffee mugs and slammed them on the table. He impatiently waved Iris to come in and sit down. Iris gulped, but remembered that she had come this far. Unova was hundreds of miles away, there was no turning back.

"Hold on!" Blaine yelled, almost making Iris jump in the air as she was approaching the kitchen. "Why did you bring that mutt in? It could be wearing a wire!"

Iris was confused for a while, but seemed to figure out what Blaine was talking about as she picked up her Axew and held it in her arms. The green dragon-type blinked its big, red eyes at Blaine cutely and tried to look as innocent as possible.

"Oh, don't be silly," Iris told Blaine and petted Axew's horn. "It's my Axew! One of these days, it's going to be a mighty Haxorus, and I'm going to become Opelucid's gym leader! That's actually what I'm studying for, and-"

But when Blaine just glared at her, Iris put the Axew in her hair. Even Blaine raised his eyebrows when the dragon Pokémon effortlessly disappeared in Iris' long bush of purple hair.

"But, we're not talking about me here, aren't we," Iris continued nervously, observing Blaine's reaction. "So, um, I was gonna ask you about…"

Iris looked up at Blaine, finding it incredibly hard to say the word out loud, especially when Blaine kept staring at her with his arms crossed. When Iris just stuttered and her voice faded away, Blaine decided to help:

"Mewtwo, right?"

"Um, yes," Iris said softly. "You know, whatever you can tell… I mean, I thought it was just legend before, but…"

Blaine took a moment to consider Iris' words, making the girl uncomfortable by staring at her – the sunglasses just made it more awkward. Finally, Blaine walked to one of his cupboards and pulled out a file folder stuffed full of papers. However, instead of giving the folder to Iris, Blaine just waved it in the air as he paced back and forth, still considering.

"I _could_ give these files to you," Blaine said slowly, "but I need to test you first… with a riddle!"

"Why?" Iris wondered.

"Don't you like riddles?" Blaine asked so quickly that Iris almost fell off her chair.

"Actually, I love them!" Iris said cheerfully. "But why do you-"

"Then, hear me out!" Blaine said and started pacing again. "So, two Pokémon Rangers, a big one and a small one, are sitting on a rock. The big one is the small one's dad _but_ the small one is not the big one's son. _How is this possible_?"

"Ooh, I love brainteasers," Iris said excitedly and started pondering. "Hmm… adoption? No, the riddle implies a biological connection. Although emotional factors should be considered too… maybe the riddle is from the perspective of the son who doesn't know he's adopted… or maybe…"

Blaine watched Iris ponder the riddle, impatiently tapping his foot and drumming the table with his fingers. Finally, when he seemed like he was about to burst, Blaine gave in:

"Okay, fine! The small one is a girl!"

"Ooooohhh…" Iris said slowly and blinked in realization. "Well, that would have been my next guess…"

Blaine handed Iris the notes, then sat down and watched her read across the table.

"_From the files of Dr. Fuji_," Iris read and looked up at Blaine. "I thought these were your notes?"

"Oh… well…" Blaine started twirling his moustache nervously. "I _acquired _Fuji's notes before the… disaster. Fuji was the administrator of the lab at the time and co-director of the Mewtwo project."

"Is he related to Mr. Fuji from Lavender Town?" Iris asked.

Blaine didn't seem to mind Iris' curiousness. Quite the contrary, he looked more relaxed and his tone of voice was less gruff than before. He seemed to stare past Iris as he talked to her, however, completely immersed in his memories.

"Yes… he was…" Blaine said quietly.

Iris didn't pry, but kept on reading. "_August 6__th__. Today my colleagues will reach the site on Faraway Island, where an ancient civilization may have created a shrine to Mew, the most powerful Pokémon to have ever existed…_"

"You'll find my own notes somewhere in there too," Blaine mumbled as he stared at the opposite wall.

Blaine hadn't forgotten anything – the pain in his right hand made sure he would relive the moment every night and day. It was impossible to tell to anyone, so he preferred Iris to read the notes, while he was once again lost in his memories…

**~o~O~o~**

_**Pokémon Mansion, Cinnabar Island, several years earlier**_

Blaine had pulled a chair next to a cylinder that was approximately ten feet tall and full of strange, orange liquid. Floating in the liquid was his latest creation. The creature had feline traits, but its feet resembled that of a rabbit's. It had a grayish purple complexion and an incredibly long, purple tail. For now, the creature was less than three feet tall and was suspended in a fetal position and its eyes were closed. It was surrounded by some sort of thin, blue bubble.

Just like all the other clones in the facility, this one hadn't gained consciousness, even though its other vital signs were strong. And yet, Blaine sat by its side every day. While his job was to observe its heartbeat, brainwave activity and growth, he would also talk to it, teach it, attempt to communicate with it and even read to it. Currently, he was reading a book called "_The Myths and Legends of Pokémonology"_ to the creature out loud, praying for at least some signs of acknowledgment.

"…these two islands, called Fullmoon and Newmoon," Blaine read and occasionally drank a sip of coffee. "Cresselia lives on the former and Darkrai lives on the latter. They say Cresselia brings about the day, and when its time for it to go, Darkrai comes in to bring the night. But to make sure we wouldn't feel lonely even at night, they created the moon and the stars. It is said that Darkrai is the source of our fears and nightmares, even though it doesn't intend to, so it isolates itself to live near Cresselia, who can end these nightmares."

Blaine turned to look at the tube – the creature still hadn't awakened, nor did it show any signs of movement.

"You know, these two Pokémon were once said to be one entity," Blaine said, "but even when they split up, they decided to coexist. Because no matter how bad our life seems like, we must endure the bad so we can enjoy the good."

Blaine quickly glanced at the tube and cleared his throat.

"Or, you know, if you believe in this stuff, that is," he said and started turning the pages of the book, looking for something specific. "Ah, here we go…"

Even though the creature in the tube couldn't see it, Blaine showed the picture in the book to it. It was an artist's impression of a mythical Pokémon that resembled a floating pink cat with big, baby blue eyes. In some respects, it almost looked like an embryo.

"And that huge thing between its legs is its tail, okay?" Blaine clarified. "That, we believe, is called Mew. Maybe it's extinct now, we don't know. All we know is that _you_ were created from it. Isn't that something? You're like… like its brother or sister or something… that's why we christened you 'Mewtwo'!"

Blaine walked to the tube and pressed his hand against it, but was talking to more to himself than to the creature.

"But, you're not just Mew," he said quietly. "During the process, I used a bit of… a bit of myself." He showed the creature in the tube his right hand, which was fully covered by a purple glove. "In that respect… you're almost like…"

Blaine cleared his throat again, looking rather embarrassed.

"But that's only because of my orders," Blaine grunted. "Because of _him_. He merely wants to control the most powerful Pokémon in the world. He specifically requested Fuji to use Mew's DNA. All that bastard wants is power, and Fuji isn't any better… working on something 'highly classified' in his own private part of the lab. But to me… this is a chance to unlock the key to recreating life itself…"

Blane's ranting was interrupted by static from the intercom, followed by a tinny voice:

"_Dr. Blaine. Sorry for interrupting, sir, but there's a Mr., um… Mr. Giovanni has come to see you_."

Blaine frowned and clenched his right hand in a fist. Hearing Giovanni's name made it hurt even more. But the man had financed the project, and Blaine and Fuji had no other option but to agree. Blaine pressed a button on the intercom.

"Tell him to wait in my office," Blaine growled. "I'll be there in a moment."

"_Yes, sir_."

Blaine looked at the Pokémon in the tube one last time before leaving the room.

**~o~O~o~**

"_What are all those… all those sounds around me?"_

"They're voices. That's a friend of my daddy's, Blaine_._"

"_It sounds so… familiar. But… who are you?"_

"Oh, they call me Ambertwo, but I'm still just Amber. And I remember everything about my life, too_._"

"_Amber… so then… who am I?"_

"Well… you look like a Pokémon, but you talk. I didn't know a Pokémon could talk a like a person_._"

"_A Pokémon… a person... what are those? Which one am I_?"

"Maybe it makes a difference to you, but no to me_._"

"_Where are we_?"

"Does it matter? We're together, aren't we? Don't you like it here_?_"

"…_I do, now."_

"That's nice. And there are so many things I want to tell you!"


	2. Escape

**CHAPTER TWO: **_**ESCAPE**_

"_Amber?"_

"Yes?"

"_It feels like I have been asleep for so long… what's happened… everything feels… constraining…"_

"You're growing. You've been asleep for months."

"_What's going to happen to us? How did you end up here? How did I end up here?_"

"I'm sorry, I don't know about you. I just remember falling asleep one day. I slept for so long… then I ended up here. I know my daddy and his friends are outside, talking about me. I've talked to many Pokémon while I've been here, but no one has stayed as long as you."

"_Other Pokémon? Where are they? Can I talk with them too_?"

"Don't you like talking to me?"

"_Of course I do! You've kept me company in this place. You're the only reason why life in this place is worth living. You're my friend_."

"You're my friend too. But you can't talk to the other Pokémon. They're gone."

"_Where?"_

"They've moved on…"

**~o~O~o~**

"Dr. Fuji!"

As one of the researchers assistants called out his name, Fuji took his eyes away from the tube that contained an ethereal orange glow and walked towards one of the monitors. Fuji was tall and gangly, with long, curly hair and a goatee. Though quite young to be in charge of a laboratory, the stress he had experienced over the last few months made him look older and wearier and had caused his hair turn gray prematurely.

"What is it?" Fuji snapped.

"You may not believe this, sir," the assistant said, "but Mewtwo and Ambertwo seem to… communicating somehow."

"How?" Fuji wondered. "We're underground, and Mewtwo's pod is in a different room!"

"They could be using telepathy," the assistant guessed. "But if that's true, then…"

"That we've made more progress than we thought," Fuji remarked.

"But sir, if your theories are true, then…"

"Yes, Giovanni will be very pleased, I'm sure," Fuji muttered. "And I can see my little girl smile again…"

Their work was interrupted by the sounds of the laboratory door opening. The woman who had arrived into the chamber stood out in the crowd, as she was not wearing a lab coat.

"Dear?"

Noticing his wife, Fuji walked to her and enthusiastically led her to the tube containing the strange orange glow.

"I've reawakened her consciousness," Fuji explained rapidly, unable to keep his eyes off the glow. "I just need to keep it viable long enough to complete the process!"

"Why?" Mrs. Fuji whispered tearfully, going almost unnoticed by her husband. "Why are you doing this? You haven't come home in weeks! You… you can't bring Amber back…"

"You're wrong!" Fuji protested and pointed at the readings on the monitor next to the tube. "Look! She lives within this light! Her energy is undeniable! If my cloning theories are correct… we'll have Amber back with us one day soon…"

Mrs. Fuji was slowly backing away from her husband. Almost everyone in the room was ignoring their work, instead choosing to gawk at the Fujis.

"I loved our daughter as much as you did," she said faintly. "But she's gone. No one can bring her back, and I can't go on watching you try. You're going to kill yourself with this! I'm… I'm sorry."

And with that, Mrs. Fuji left the lab without looking back. The other scientist continued their work, but Fuji kept on staring at the tube, his eyes practically glued to the light inside it.

Suddenly, a sharp beeping noise was heard from one of the monitors. Fuji's assistant quickly rushed to the scene. From the corner of his eye, Fuji saw a blinking red light next to the monitor. The assistant and the scientists gathered around her looked horrified. Fuji didn't want to hear what they had to say – he was focused on the light inside the tube, which was dimming slowly.

"D-doctor," the assistant said in a small voice. "We're… we're losing Amber, too…"

It was as he feared – to Fuji, it was as if the loss had happened all over again. Maybe there was still hope? Should he scream at his subordinates, tell them to try and salvage her somehow? But Fuji knew there was no way – he had known from the start that this might happen… that this _would_ happen… but they had gotten so far… he had to cling on to the little hope he had.

Before his eyes, the light started rapidly fading away. Fuji pressed his hand against the glass one last time.

"Amber…"

**~o~O~o~**

"_Amber? What's wrong?"_

"It… it feels like… it's time to say goodbye."

"_Goodbye? But… wait! Where are you going?"_

"I don't know. But I have to go. Thank you for caring about me_._"

"_No! Amber, please, don't go! I… I don't want to be alone again…"_

"You won't be. And don't be sad, Mewtwo. You should be happy. You're alive, and life is wonderful…"

"AMBER!"

**~o~O~o~**

For months on end, Blaine had sat next to Mewtwo's tank, talking to it, keeping it company, even singing to it at one point. He had observed its growth – it now filled almost the entire cylinder, being over six feet tall. The bubble around it had disappeared as well. While teaching Mewtwo about various things about the Pokémon world and what is was capable of, he had bored it with stories about his own crummy life, how all the other scientists mocked him and how much he hated Giovanni – he even showed a picture of the Rocket Boss to it, explaining the things he was ready to do to obtain the most powerful Pokémon of them all.

But today, things would change…

Having dozed off for a few minutes, Blaine was awakened when Dr. Fuji and two other scientists approached him, their footsteps echoing in the empty chamber. Blaine straightened his sunglasses and stood up, frowning at Fuji – he hadn't left his lab in months.

"Time's up, Blaine," Fuji said tersely and dropped his file folder on Blaine's desk. "We're taking Mewtwo to the underground chambers."

"Huh? But-"

"You've done an admirable job so far," Fuji said, though he didn't sound admiring at all as he observed Mewtwo's tank. "But your part in this project is complete. Well done. The board has decided to give you some time off – go home and rest. You can resume your regular duties at the lab next week."

"Time off?" Blaine snarled and stepped in front of the tank, blocking Fuji's assistants. "I'm fine! And I need to stay to monitor its growth. It might gain consciousness any day-!"

"My team and I," Fuji interrupted calmly, "will be in charge of waking it up. Our financier is already on his way here."

"Listen here, _junior_," Blaine growled at Fuji as he stood inches away from him – while Fuji was as tall as Blaine, the latter was much more rugged and overall more intimidating. "I know you don't run like this lab like your father did, but even you have to see that we can't give this thing to Giovanni! You know who he is and what he's capable of! Look, I know it sounds crazy, but I have a… a connection to Mewtwo! I can get it to wake up, I'm sure, but if you try and tamper with its mind, the consequences could be-"

"We feel you're a bit stressed, Blaine," Fuji interrupted again and nodded at his aides, who used a handcart to move Mewtwo's heavy, liquid-filled tank away. "You've been in here for months on end."

"How are _you_ any different?" Blaine wondered. "And what have you been working on at that secret lab of yours?"

"If you wish to keep your job, Blaine, go home," Fuji retorted and walked to the tank, talking to his aides. "Don't take it yet, I need to observe it first."

Blaine knew it was pointless to resist – Fuji had made up his mind. But Blaine knew he was hiding something. Acting as quickly and silently as he could, he pulled all of Fuji's notes from the folder and quickly replaced them with a pile of blank papers. Then, just before Fuji turned back towards him, Blaine took a step away from the folder. To Blaine's relief, Fuji hadn't noticed a thing – he merely grabbed the folder from the desk and walked away.

Watching Fuji and his associates take Mewtwo away, Blaine had to shake his head.

"Mark my words, junior," Blaine muttered. "Nothing good will come from this…"

**~o~O~o~**

Several hours later, Mewtwo opened his eyes for the first time.

It was like waking from a slumber that had lasted for years. Mewtwo felt as if it was about to burst from its body. The thick glass and the fluids inside the cylinder felt suffocating. Yet its eyelids felt extremely heavy… as if it had never opened them before. It could only see the silhouettes of strange people through the glass.

But why? What happened to the familiar voices? Where was Blaine? Where was Amber?

_Was everything before… just a dream?_

"Doctor, look at this!"

"What?"

"Its brainwaves… they're surging!"

_More strange sounds… they're outside…_

"We can't lose this one!"

…_where I must be!_

Mewtwo's eyes glowed blue. Everyone in the room seemed to freeze as Mewtwo shattered the confining glass tube around it, all of the fluids inside leaking on the lab's floor.

"Radio Giovanni's helicopter!" one of the scientists yelled. "Tell him what's happened!"

"Quiet!" Fuji ordered. "Let us hear its psychic powers!"

"_Psychic… powers_?"

"For years, we've struggled to successfully clone a Pokémon to prove our theories," Fuji said with a mad gleam in his eyes, "but you're the first specimen to survive!"

Fuji pointed at a painting on the wall. Mewtwo knew it represented a Pokémon… one it could recognize…

"That is Mew, the rarest of all Pokémon," Fuji explained. "From its DNA, we created you… Mewtwo!"

_Mewtwo… she used that name once too._

"_Am I only… a _copy _of Mew_?" Mewtwo asked Fuji – just like with Amber, it didn't need to move its mouth, yet Fuji and everyone else in the room heard its every word. "_Nothing but Mew's shadow_?"

"You are greater than Mew!" Fuji declared. "Improved through the power of _human_ ingenuity! We used the most advanced techniques to develop your awesome psychic powers!"

"_So… I'm simply the end result of your experiment_," Mewtwo said with contempt. "_What becomes of me now that your experiment is over?_"

"Oh, our experiment isn't over yet, it's just beginning!" Fuji said frantically. "Now the _serious_ testing begins!"

And with that, Fuji and the scientists seemed to ignore Mewtwo. They congratulated each other, patted each other on the back… one of them even opened a bottle of champagne as Mewtwo looked on.

_These humans… they care nothing for me…_

Mewtwo remembered. Flying over the mountain on Faraway Island, seeing the ocean and the island meet in a beautiful blend of blue and green.

No, it was back in the chamber, sitting surrounded by humans, talking about their future plans in excitement, one of them trying to contact someone… called Giovanni.

"We'll start our testing right away!" Fuji declared as the other scientists cheered.

Testing… just like they had _tested _many others before Mewtwo. And how all of their voices faded away one by one… just like Amber's…

_Is that my purpose… am I just an experiment?_ _A laboratory specimen?_

No one noticed as Mewtwo stood up on its platform.

_This cannot be my destiny!_

It took several seconds for the celebrating scientists to notice that Mewtwo had risen. It was now floating in the air, its eyes glowing as a blue sphere surrounded it. One of them screamed in terror, and just then, all the other liquid-filled tanks exploded.

The scientists were floored by the explosions. One of them attempted to flee towards the exit, but Mewtwo's psychic attack yanked him back effortlessly. Mechanical hands extended from the ceiling to grab Mewtwo, but it destroyed them all with one swift blast.

One by one, the scientists in the room were engulfed by the explosions that Mewtwo created in cold fury, merely having to flick its hand in the desired direction.

Eventually, only Fuji remained. Leaning on a piece of machinery, the bodies of his colleagues littered around him, he watched as all of his work slowly burned to cinder. And yet, he just looked on as Mewtwo approached him, blowing the flames away from it with another flick of its hand. Briefly, Fuji's and Mewtwo's eyes met.

"We dreamed of creating the world strongest Pokémon…" Fuji grunted

Mewtwo started glowing again as it pointed its three-digit hand at Fuji. But Fuji merely stared forward with a faint smile on his face.

"…and we succeeded!"

**~o~O~o~**

Blaine's entire house shook from the force of the explosion, but he had already woken up minutes before. His right hand felt like it was on fire, and nothing seemed to quell the pain. No matter how Blaine tried to pretend that a painkiller and trying to think about something else would work… he knew something had gone wrong.

By the time he got to the Pokémon Mansion, it was engulfed in flames, with huge gaping holes on the walls. Without hesitation, he opened the only Poké Ball on his waist, prompting his Magmar to come out. Together, they ran into the mansion – or what was left of it.

Blaine and Magmar didn't have to go far, as they saw a bright glue glow past the thick, black smoke. Trying to ignore the bodies of scientists as he walked past them, Blaine approached the source of the glow.

"Mewtwo?" Blaine asked softly.

Suddenly, all of Blaine's limbs felt like they were paralyzed. It was as if tight iron chains had appeared around him and constrained him. It was almost impossible to breathe. And before he could cry out, he felt his feet leaving the ground.

As Blaine was lifted into the air, his Magmar tried to rush to his aid, but a black ball of energy flew through the smoke and knocked Magmar out cold.

"Shadow Ball, huh?" Blaine croaked.

It was almost impossible for him to move his mouth, but he knew Mewtwo would hear him, and he saw its silhouette through the smoke. Mewtwo pointed at Blaine with its three fingers as its eyes glowed ominously, its Psychic attack keeping Blaine airborne. But Mewtwo didn't seem to know what to do next.

"Don't you remember me?" Blaine asked as he felt Mewtwo tightening its grip. "I seem to have… taught you well…"

Blaine had to close his eyes now – he couldn't even draw breath.

"Go on then," he wheezed. "Do it. I deserve it…"

But then he felt like he could breathe again – the invisible chains were gone, and Blaine was dropped on the ground, with all the air knocked out of him in the process. As he struggled to breathe, he turned to his side and tried to catch a glimpse of Mewtwo… but there was only smoke.

**~o~O~o~**

_**Cinnabar Island, present day**_

"And there you have it," Blaine said sadly, finishing his story as Iris stared at him wide-eyed – she hadn't interrupted him at any point. "I was woken up by Magmar… just in time for the 'welcoming committee'…"

Iris tilted her head quizzically, almost making Axew fall from her hair.

"Giovanni," Blaine grunted in explanation. "I tell you, if there's something good that's come out of this, it's watching that slimy bastard's face as I told him that his million-pokédollar investment had decided to take a hike. From what I hear, Giovanni spent the rest of his time as Team Rocket's leader trying to find it, even trying to get his hands on the Master Ball, thinking _that_ would be enough to control it… but I knew he failed." Blaine smiled a bit. "Instead, he and the authorities covered up the incident, claiming that Fuji and the team were working on something highly dangerous that had cost them their lives. A new lab was built, a new staff was hired and thanks to Elm pulling some strings, I was able to stay here as a gym leader… for all the good _that_ did," he added bitterly.

"But then," Iris said gently, "what happened to Mewtwo?"


	3. Struggle

**CHAPTER THREE: **_**STRUGGLE**_

Only hours after the explosion on Cinnabar Island, the police department of Cerulean City noticed an alarming amount of extremely high-level Pokémon swarming around a cave on the outskirts of town. A guard was placed there to make sure only Champions or Elite Four members could get in, but the mysterious Pokémon sightings became a source of intrigue for conspiracy theorists everywhere. For one thing, how was it possible that a group of Electrode or Dodrio could live in that cave?

What they didn't know was that deep underground, Mewtwo had carved itself a chamber to a distant part of the cave, only accessible via the underground river. Alone, it sat in the darkness, unaware that its psychic powers had drawn in hundreds of curious Pokémon.

"You couldn't have chosen anywhere less damp to be in?"

Mewtwo recoiled when a deep, booming voice suddenly echoed in the chamber. It wasn't alone anymore – a large, human man appeared from the shadows, and even though Mewtwo had never seen him, he still instantly recognized the pale, waxy skin, the slick, black hair and the cold, lifeless eyes.

"_You_!"

But before Mewtwo's Shadow Ball attack could hit Giovanni, he disappeared from sight. He reappeared on a cliff above Mewtwo, sneering malevolently.

"Oh no," Giovanni said and raised his hand as Mewtwo was about to attack him again. "I assure you, appearing in this _human_ form is merely a necessary evil. The real Giovanni is currently organizing a nationwide search for you. But he won't find you… not unless you _want_ to be found…"

"_You're not a human_?" Mewtwo inquired. "_How did _you_ find me, then?"_

"Traveling in this form is necessary during these insecure times," Giovanni declared and snapped his large fingers. "But my friends will help me show you my true identity."

As Giovanni snapped his fingers, the cave was filled by dozens of small, eye-shaped Pokémon with black, letter-shaped appendages. Mewtwo stumbled as it tried to get away from them, but they just floated around the cave harmlessly. Strange, hissing whispers filled the cave and Mewtwo could hear some sort of high-pitched cry:

"_Uuuuuuunowwwwwn~_"

But the voice didn't seem to come from the Pokémon – Mewtwo could hear it inside its head. It was unable to block the sound, no matter how hard it tried. Eventually, the sound caused it to fall on its knees, its eyes tightly shut in agony.

"They're sort of my eyes on this world," Giovanni explained calmly, his eyes fixed on Mewtwo and its suffering. "But enough of these pleasantries. I wish to make you an offer, and to do so, I need to show myself to you in my proper form…"

Giovanni snapped his fingers again, and the little floating Pokémon disappeared instantly. Mewtwo opened its eyes and raised its head to see Giovanni – but he wasn't there anymore.

In his place stood a Pokémon that Mewtwo did not recognize from any of Blaine's books. It stood fifteen feet tall, with a humongous, gray centipede-like body with two black, gaseous wings extending from its back. The Pokémon had six thick feet, six golden claws around its chest forming a ribcage of sorts and six red claws in its wings, three in each. It had a large, gray tail and a golden ring surrounded its head. Two red eyes gleamed from the holes in the ring, but they seemed lifeless and disproportionally small, like they had been taken from a different Pokémon.

Mewtwo could only gape at the beast for a few seconds before it disappeared again, leaving behind a cloud of black smoke. The smoke itself started circling above Mewtwo, who could hear another voice, a deep, thunderous one, echoing in its head:

"I am the ruler of the Distortion World," the voice explained, and Mewtwo had to stay still and listen to every word, unable to block the voice. "For now, me and my followers are mostly confined to my dimension… but the time for my ascension is at hand… everyone, humans and Pokémon alike, can sense it, whether they realize it or not. Sooner or later, we all have to choose a side."

"_Go away_!" Mewtwo snarled and closed its eyes again, but knew it couldn't use any attack against the beast. "_I don't care who you are! I stand alone!_"

"I understand your pain," the voice said relentlessly as the black smoke descended to the level of Mewtwo's head, circling around it. "I know what it feels like to be created and cast aside. Imagine what we could accomplish together… you could actually become the most powerful Pokémon in the world… that is what you wish for, don't you? A way to create your own destiny…"

Mewtwo opened its eyes. The black smoke had transformed again. It was no a pink Pokémon with big blue eyes and a long tail that floated in the air and stared Mewtwo.

"_Mew_!"

But before Mewtwo could launch an attack, Mew disappeared and turned into black smoke yet again. The voice returned as well.

"I could help you find the reason for your existence," the voice said smoothly. "I could teach you how to be even more powerful than Mew… why waste your tremendous power in this cave, when the Pokémon of the world need a leader… a leader to purge this world from humans… that's what we Pokémon were born to do…"

"_I was not born a Pokémon, I was created!_" Mewtwo objected and stood up – abstract smoke or enormous ghostly Pokémon, Mewtwo didn't care. It needed to fight, to defeat something, and this creature had willingly wandered to it. "_And my creators_-"

"Have used and betrayed you," the voice cut in. "I don't need explanations. I can see into your soul, Mewtwo. I am offering you a place in my army. After all, there's nowhere else you can go... you've already murdered many humans…"

"_I didn't… I…_"

But Mewtwo remembered it clearly. It had acted by its own free will, and still remembered the face of every scientist that was now burning in the remnants of the lab.

_But they deserved it… after what they did…_

"I know they did," the voice said, startling Mewtwo – it hadn't said that last part out loud, and yet…

"_There are… there could be good humans, too!_"

"Really?"

And the black smoke seemed to become solid again, forming the body of an aging, bald scientist with a thick moustache and sunglasses. But Blaine didn't look at Mewtwo as warmly as it remembered. His arms were folded and he glared at Mewtwo in utter contempt.

"Did you really think I cared about you?" Blaine asked. It was undeniably him, right down to the rough, gravely voice. "I just wanted to see my name in the history books… Blaine, creator of the most powerful Pokémon in the world. Who cares what Giovanni would have done with you? You're just an experiment, no more important to me than a Rattata in a maze…"

"_No!_"

Mewtwo couldn't believe it… Blaine would never say these things…

_I should have killed him when I had the chance…_

Hearing Blaine's voice again made it feel something again. It was the same, painful feeling that had consumed him when… when she had died…

"I see," Blaine said and smiled maliciously. "So that's what you meant…"

Briefly, Blaine turned into a cloud of black smoke again, but as it developed a human form again, Mewtwo almost fell on its knees again in shock. There she was again… Mewtwo had never seen her before in person, and yet it had always known what she looked like: a pale, smiling little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. And as she spoke, her voice was just as soft and gentle as Mewtwo remembered.

"They let me die, Mewtwo," Amber said, smiling sadly. "Can't you see they cared nothing for me? They planned to use you as a weapon and then do the same to you."

And just as before, her voice started to fade slowly as she began to turn into a cloud of black smoke again.

"_Amber… you can't leave me again…_"

"You cannot bring her back," the voice inside Mewtwo's head said harshly. "But you can get your revenge on those who allowed her to die. Those humans and their Pokémon…"

Mewtwo stared at the spot where Amber had just been seconds ago.

_Is that what I've been looking for? Could that be my purpose? I've already killed humans… what does it matter if I kill another one? Or two?_

"Or hundreds," the voice said sinisterly. "Or millions. The choice is yours. Just remember that you have nowhere else to go. You're artificial, a human creation… the Pokémon will never accept you as one of them. And as for humans… they won't care if you have their blood in your veins if you have it on your hands, too. You're nothing more than a murderer to them…"

_No! Not a murderer…_

"But not to me," the voice said. "Your strength is unlike anything I have seen before. It needs to be put in good use… and what better way to fulfill your destiny, than to assume a role in the world that we're shaping?"

_Destiny…_

"Think about it…"

The black smoke disappeared, but the voice still echoed in Mewtwo's head. It closed its eyes again, trying not to remember. But it couldn't stop the memories. Flying over Faraway Island, free of everything… trapped in a tube, alone in the dark… Amber's voice fading away… the horrified screams of the scientists it had slaughtered…

_Life is wonderful... but why?_

* * *

**A/N: Whew, a tad melodramatic at times, but I think it turned out quite well. Let me know what you think in a review, if you like. I took inspiration from three sources: the first movie, the manga and the games themselves. Also, big thanks to FFN user "Ardtornismyname" for giving me great ideas**


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